St. David's Foundation
Equity-Driven Rural Health Strategy
St. David's Foundation
St. David’s Foundation partnered with Indigo Innovation Group to develop a rural health strategy focused on equity, aligning grantmaking and programmatic efforts with social determinants of health. The collaboration enhanced leadership capacity and built a foundation for transformative, community-centered change.
About St. David's Foundation
St. David’s Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating healthier communities in Central Texas by addressing the root causes of health disparities. Through strategic investments and community partnerships, the foundation focuses on rural health, social determinants of health, and equity-centered approaches to improve outcomes for underserved populations.
If you are looking for a strategic thought partner and coach who will meet you where you are to ignite the flame to forge a new path forward, look no further!
- Abene Asante
Challenge
St. David’s Foundation sought to develop a rural health strategy aligned with equity and the social determinants of health. The organization required a comprehensive approach to assess its current state, design a participatory evaluation process, and align cross-cutting departmental efforts with its broader goals. The challenge involved navigating uncharted territory, building internal and external credibility, and creating a framework to guide transformative rural health initiatives.
Embedding equity into operations was vital for transformative grantmaking.
Solution
Indigo Innovation Group partnered with St. David’s Foundation as a strategic thought partner, strategy coach, and implementation partner. Key initiatives included:
Conducting an equity-focused assessment of the foundation’s mission, processes, communications, and staffing, followed by a Gap Analysis with actionable recommendations.
Designing a Rural Health Strategy with clear pathways and strategic levers for change, supported by a portfolio audit of existing grants to ensure alignment with the new strategy.
Co-facilitating stakeholder and board committee meetings to build consensus and identify challenges, opportunities, and solutions.
Developing a participatory evaluation process to strengthen programmatic areas and network-weaving initiatives.
Providing executive coaching and strategic guidance to build the capacity and confidence of the senior program officer leading the new rural strategy.
This multi-faceted approach emphasized community engagement and equity, centering people, places, and power as the foundation of the strategy.
Results
Indigo Innovation Group’s collaboration with St. David’s Foundation resulted in a transformative rural health strategy rooted in equity. Key outcomes included:
Alignment of grantmaking and programmatic efforts with the social determinants of health.
Strengthened leadership capacity, fostering internal and external credibility.
Creation of a participatory evaluation framework to drive continuous learning and improvement.
Development of a clear roadmap for long-term, community-centered change.
Impact
Impact: The foundation’s rural health strategy, co-designed with Indigo, has become a cornerstone of its commitment to equity and community engagement. The process equipped St. David’s Foundation with tools to navigate complex challenges and create a sustainable framework for impactful philanthropy.
Tracey has the integrity, vision, creativity, and wisdom to dive deep into the work, no matter the level of complexity or the murkiness often associated with social change.
- Abene Asante
